Girls Rule: The 2014 DVF Awards

On Friday night, Diane von Furstenberg and the Diller-Von Furstenberg Family Foundation honored six courageous women leading the charge in the battle for women's rights at the 5th Annual DVF Awards. Grammy-winning artist Estelle kicked off the evening with a performance of her hit song "Do My Thing," dedicated to "every woman in this room who has done her thing regardless of what anyone tells you." Following the performance, the evening's co-host, Tina Brown, introduced von Furstenberg as the person who, "Male or female, we all just want to be her."

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Taking the stage in a purple-and-white shift, von Furstenberg named the 25 women who have received DVF Awards over the last five years: "It is an honor for me to give you an award. You have humbled me with your character and resilience." Remembering her mother, an Auschwitz survivor, von Furstenberg continued, "Character and resilience is what my mother taught me. She also taught me, 'Fear is not an option.'"

Sarah Jessica Parker presented the first award of the evening to Liron Peleg-Hadomi and Noha Khatieb. The two women met at a Vital Voices conference in Northern Ireland and now work together to promote peace between the Jewish and Arab communities. "You can think that you can never cross lines, but these lines are only in our heads," Peleg-Hadomi said. "When we walk together we realize it is not our differences that divide us, but our inability to recognize them."

"When we walk together we realize it is not our differences that divide us, but our inability to recognize them."

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Next, Kah Walla, one of Cameroon's foremost political leaders in a country notable for its abuses against women, accepted her award on behalf of all African women: "Today, in their own unique ways, women all over Africa are playing a role in charting the course for Africa…Through this award you see us and enable us to see ourselves better. Thank you for affirming us."

After Walla, Supermodel Chanel Iman took the stage to present entrepreneur Veronika Scott with the People's Voice Award, which is chosen by the public through a vote on dvfawards.com. Scott is the founder of the Empowerment Plan, which employees homeless women as seamstresses, teaching them to create self-heating, weather-resistant coats that fold out to become sleeping bags for the homeless. Scott accepted the award in the name of a former employee who passed away last year: "[She made me realize] I may have something bigger than a coat. She told me, 'I want to thank you for treating me like a human. I haven't been treated like one in a very long time.'"

Von Furstenberg presented the last two awards of the night. First, Alicia Keys accepted the Inspiration Award for her work with Keep a Child Alive, the organization she co-founded to provide for children living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. "7 out of 10 children don't receive the treatment they need and I am outraged. It doesn't make sense with the wealth in this world. That's what pushes and moves me," she declared. "Experts predict the end of AIDS is within our reach if we care just enough…Together we are an unstoppable force for good."

"Together we are an unstoppable force for good."

Finally, the evening ended with feminist icon Gloria Steinem accepting the Lifetime Leadership Award: "I think with age people think you're living in the past instead of the future. People say, 'You've done so much for others, take time for yourself,'" she said sardonically. "I feel joyous and lucky to do the work I love, excited about possibilities, [and] mad as hell about realities." Always outspoke, Steinem announced, "I don't think I've sacrificed one f*cking thing."

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